Ducati was the only motorcycle manufacturer at the Autostyle Design Competition in Italy in early October. In its centenary year, the company displayed more than a finished motorcycle: the Superleggera V4 Centenario stood beside its mechanical base, exposing what normally sits beneath the bodywork.
The pairing offers a useful way to read motorcycle design. A silhouette, seat line and body panels create the first impression, but their placement is closely tied to the frame and mechanical components. Ducati design director Andrea Ferraresi also traced the evolution of the brand’s forms across a century.
The Superleggera V4 Centenario is limited to 500 numbered motorcycles. Its red centenary livery links it to the anniversary, yet the exhibit’s most revealing choice was structural: visitors could compare the visible bodywork with the engineering supporting it.